By MIKE JAMES - The Independent
ASHLAND — A walk in the December chill raised more than goosebumps for children at Holy Family School, it raised their awareness of Advent, the season in the church calendar leading up to Christmas.
The walk also was part of a food drive to stock the shelves of the parish food pantry.
The pantry typically is depleted after Thanksgiving, said faculty member Mary Chandler. Ordinarily the school has jean days, when students bring in food or a monetary contribution for the privilege of wearing jeans rather than their usual uniforms.
But school will be out soon for the holidays so the Beta Club, a student service organization, decided on a different scheme.
Each child is bringing in a non-perishable food item for each of the four weeks of Advent. To focus on that goal, the entire student body turned out to walk four times around the block encompassing the school and Holy Family Church.
“We’re spreading the spirit of giving and helping feed the poor,” said Bethany Gordon, president of the club. The drive shows that the children live in a good community where people are willing to help others, she said.
And every class helped, said Sarah Goebel, secretary-treasurer of the club.
“Every class had a box full, and some were overflowing,” she said.
The cold breeze failed to dampen the spirits of the children walking around the block; by the time they’d completed one circuit they were singing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” at the top of their lungs.
That morphed into “We Three Kings” and other Christmas carols, and some secular favorites too, such as “Jingle Bells.”
Some of the Beta Club members help out at the Community Kitchen, so they see first-hand the need in their community for food, Goebel said.
Club vice president Allen Flath said the children want to make sure others have a good Christmas.
While they’re helping out the less fortunate, the students also are remembering what Advent is all about, Chandler said. “It’s the spirit of preparation for Christ’s coming at Christmas,” she said.
MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.
